Letters | Probe hospital data breach or lose people’s trust in public health care
- A lack of data privacy may deter patients from seeking medical care, and defies the fundamental ethos of social equality which underpins public services
First, and most obviously, this abuse of patient data clearly deviates from reasonably anticipated professional conduct, and may deter patients from seeking necessary medical help, for fear that their data would be used against them. Even patients not involved in activities that could be considered illegal may be uncomfortable with their data being made readily available to law enforcement bodies. This incident damages the doctor-patient relationship which takes a long time to foster.
Public health care is supposed to be on the side of the less privileged and to strive for their welfare but, in this incident, hospitals appeared to do the opposite. The public’s trust has been significantly shaken, and to some, the public health care system has become just another part of the establishment – exploiting ordinary people and serving the interests of the powerful.